1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to a jaw position detector for use with a surgical instrument. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to an anvil position detector for use in a surgical stapling instrument.
2. Background of Related Art
Various surgical instruments are used in surgical procedures to grasp and manipulate tissue. These instruments may include devices having relatively movable jaw structures such as, for example, graspers, cutters, etc.
Other types of surgical instruments having movable jaw structure include surgical staplers. Surgical staplers typically incorporate a staple containing cartridge and an anvil member movably mounted relative to the staple containing cartridge. Tissue is captured between the anvil member and the staple containing cartridge and the stapler is actuated to place one or more rows of staples through the captured tissue and, in some cases, cut the tissue between the rows of staples. In order to properly staple the tissue, it is often necessary that the anvil be moved to a predetermined position relative to the remainder of the surgical stapler and, in particular, relative to the elongate member upon which the anvil is mounted.
In specific instances, it is desirable to orient the anvil member relative to an elongate member of the surgical instrument such that a longitudinal axis of the anvil member is substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the elongate member. This may be necessary to ensure that staple pockets associated with the anvil member are in a proper position to fully crimp the staples closed about the tissue being stapled. When performing a procedure endoscopically, it is often difficult to tell when the longitudinal axis of the anvil member is in proper alignment with respect to the longitudinal axis of the elongate member.
Thus, it would be desirable to provide a surgical instrument having an indicator mechanism capable of ensuring proper alignment of a jaw or anvil of the surgical instrument with the remainder of the surgical instrument. It would be further desirable to provide an indicator mechanism which provides a tactile indication of the proper alignment. It would still further be desirable to provide an indicator mechanism which provides an audible indication of the proper alignment.